One problem associated with in-ground vehicle lifts is condensate that collects in the base structure of the lifts. Typically, this condensate is generated every time the lift is cycled up and down, which draws fresh air and the moisture contained therein into the base structure of the lift. Condensate then forms when the air contacts the cool surfaces in the base structure of the lift. If it is not removed from the base structure, the condensate will typically cause corrosion, potentially severe, of the various components of the vehicle lift. Such corrosion is a continuing problem at vehicle service centers that employ in-ground lifts because it causes failures in operation of the lifts, downtime, and costly repairs.
One known approach for removing the condensate is a cart based system that can be manually moved from one lift to the next. The cart includes a venturi pump that operates off of the service center's compressed air supply. An inlet to the pump is manually connected to a condensate collection location in the base structure of the lift and the pump is then activated to remove or scavenge the condensate from the base structure. After the condensate has been removed from one lift, the cart can be manually moved to another lift and the sequence repeated. While this approach may work, it is labor intensive and requires a regular maintenance schedule to insure that the condensate is periodically removed from each in-ground lift of the service center before the condensate can produce undesirable amounts of corrosion.
Thus, there is a continuing need to provide an improved system for removing condensate from in-ground vehicle lifts.